"Tempered by Memory" a sculpture commissioned by Saratoga Arts commemorating the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 made its way to High Rock Park from Gansevoort Tuesday.
Photo Erica Miller

SARATOGA SPRINGS --The warped steel spire of Tempered by Memory rose over a crowd of onlookers without applause or fanfare. The sculpture took a long road to the Spa City after it was deformed on Sept. 11, 2001.

The steel from beams of the World Trade Center was obtained from the New York City Port Authority specifically for the artwork.

The 24-foot sculpture was assembled in Gansevoort a year ago, when it ignited controversy over its placement. Then it sat in the corner of a lot at a metal shop, seen only by the few people who knew it was there or who sought it out.

Tuesday it was transported on the bed of a tractor-trailer to its selected home in High Rock Park.

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"It's amazing in two years to see this all take shape," said John Van Alstine, one of the artists who crafted the sculpture, "especially with all the bumps in the road."

He and Noah Savett finished the work at about this time last year in time for the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

"It was quite frustrating and politically heated," he said, "but here we are a year later."

The project was originally destined for the front of the City Center on Broadway -- a site that eventually proved too small to be realistic.

When Mayor Scott Johnson announced it would instead be located in front of the Visitors Center on Broadway, though, a wave of controversy swept over the project.

A group organized against the sculpture's new potential placement. Dozens of people attended City Council meetings to voice their opinions for and against the site. Some criticized the work itself, while others lambasted the city for not bringing the project to fruition in time for the 10th anniversary.

"I think in the long-run, the controversy will be forgotten," Johnson said, standing on the site Tuesday, marveling at the sculpture. "I'm glad it's behind us."

To him, the sculpture represents the enduring resolve of the country after the terrorist attacks.

"It's truly a symbol of the American spirit rising from the ashes," he said. "It evokes such an emotion because of what it is."

The work was commissioned by Saratoga Arts and paid for through private donations.

Saratoga Arts Executive Director Joel Reed said he was initially disappointed by the decision to make High Rock Park its home.

The day after the site choice was made public, he and other members of the committee visited the site to see the future home of the sculpture they had worked to bring to the Spa City.

"By the end of our meeting, we decided it was really the best place for it," he said, standing by as workers busily readied the sculpture for lifting.

He attributes the siting of the 24-foot, 28,000 pound steel sculpture in High Rock Park to the number of people who became involved with the project.

"The wisdom of the community shone through," he said.

The process of getting the sculpture off the tractor-trailer and in place took two cranes and more than a dozen iron workers Tuesday morning. With sledge-hammers and torches, the steel pieces that had been welded to the sculpture to facilitate the transport were removed.

For many, the site seemed intuitive after it was announced.

"I think it's beautiful -- it really is," said Saratoga Arts Board Member Nedra Stimpfle. "It's quiet, reverential and accessible. Our charge now will be to make sure it gets on people's radar."

One neighbor who will see it when she looks out her front window said she thought it was the perfect place for the sculpture because it gives people a chance to reflect on it out of the hustle of Broadway.

"Saratoga has gotten really built up. It's nice to have a place like this," she said.

Over the next month, the overall site will be improved. Boulders will be added as accents and paths will be created between the sculpture and nearby springs and pavilions. A dedication ceremony is scheduled for September.

When the crane's lines were released and the final adjustments were being made, Mayor Johnson said, "Well that's it. It looks great. It's the best place it could have been located."

A man approached him and gave him a T-shirt emblazoned with "Ironworkers Local 12" on the back. "I'm glad it's finally in place," he said, handing the shirt to the mayor.